Mangart Mountain and Mangrt Saddle

Mangart Mountain and Mangrt Saddle

What is less than 50 kilometers around the Erjavčeva mountain hut…

The road to Mangrt is open to traffic from the second half of June until the first autumn snowfall. During the no-snow season, the road is open until all the parking spaces near the Koča na Mangrtskem sedlu mountain hut are occupied. Due to traffic calming on the panoramic road, which also includes seasonal public hop-on/hop-off transfers, visitors can enjoy the panoramic views and alpine landscape of Mangrtsko sedlo away from the distracting noise of motor vehicles.

Mangart Mountain and Mangrt Saddle

MANGART OR MANGRT

The formal Slovene version is Mangart, but Slovenians also use the version Mangrt, since it is commonly used by the local people.

LOG POD MANGRTOM

The main settlement, Log pod Mangrtom, is comprised of Spodnji and Gorenji Log. The village boasts numerous natural and cultural sights. In the past, local people were mostly engaged in breeding small cattle and alpine pastoral farming, hunting, maintaining the road that runs over the Predel Pass and cart driving, while their survival was mostly ensured by working at the former lead and zinc mine in Cave del Predil, which was connected to Log pod Mangrtom via the so-called Štoln mining tunnel. This is the trailhead of the Walk of Peace.

STRMEC

This small village high above the valley lies right on the main road that was used in the past as the main traffic link between Gorizia and Villach. The village was most gravely affected by the Second World War, when German soldiers shot all the men and burned down the village. As a sign of mourning, the widows wore black headscarves and therefore the village was named “the village of black headscarves”. The site at St Michael’s Chapel is a magnificent vantage point for enjoying the sights of the valley and the surrounding mountains.

“SENARSKA” TRAIL

A well-arranged panoramic trail runs from Strmec to Gorenji stan or the Mangrtsko sedlo, its name originates from hay (“seno”). Since there was a lack of winter feedstuffs for sheep and goats, farmers used the “vrharjenje” method – mowing and harvesting grassland on pastures. Farmers carried hay in sheets and on their own backs from the Mangrt area to the villages in the valley.

VALLEY OF A HUNDRED WATERFALLS

During heavy rainfall, waters run to the valley in a hundred waterfalls and stop in forests, dark gorges and below the overhanging walls. They are clad in ice in winter, where even the shy sun cannot touch them. Regulated trails run to the waterfalls in Predelica, above the Fratarica Canyon and in the Nemčlja Gorge.

MANGRT ROAD

The road to Mangrt, the highest lying road in Slovenia, will take you up right below the Mangrtsko sedlo at an elevation of 2072 m. It is one of the most beautiful high mountain roads. Driving along the 12 km long road and through the five tunnels is an unforgettable experience, because it offers beautiful views of the Julian Alps. It was mostly built by hand by Italian soldiers in record time before the Second World War. Today, it presents quite a unique challenge for cyclists.

GEOLOGY AND THE STOVŽJE LANDSLIDE

The Mangrt Saddle and its surroundings make up one of the most beautiful and important geological heritage areas of the Julian Alps. Just like an open book, diverse rocks that emerged in various marine environments from the Upper Triassic, Jura and in Cretaceous sediments can be seen on the surface. When the Alps were forced upwards, the rocks that were spread over a large wide area were intensely pushed together, creased and thrusted, so that now they can be observed in a relatively small space; the results of strong pressure are visible in a multitude of creases, crevices and faults.

In the wider Mangrt area, special marlstone layers called the Raibl beds emerge. Combined with extreme precipitation in 2000, those beds had a tragic impact on triggering the Stovžje landslide that struck the valley of the Mangrtski potok stream. The landslide is considerd the largest natural disaster in Slovenia.

Mangart Mountain and Mangrt Saddle

FAUNA

Many preserved and protected animal species can be found below Mt Mangrt. The area is a habitat for chamois and alpine ibex, and you can observe marmots and rock ptarmigans or the golden eagle far in the sky. Mountaineers are accompanied by butterflies, western jackdaws, alpine salamanders, nose-horned vipers or common European adders. Western capercaillie and black grouse, roe deer and red deer live in the lower areas.

The rock ptarmigan belongs to the grouse family and lives above the tree line. In winter, its feathers turn white to keep it safe from predators. One of the most abundant populations in the Alps lives in the Mangrt area.

MAGNIFICENT WORLD OF PLANTS

The grassy plains under the peak of Mt Mangrt are most beautiful in early July, when they bloom in an amazing explosion of thousands of colours. Due to the diverse flora and floral specialities, these plains are quite well known far and wide. Here, we can find one of the rare or the only site of Alpine avens, marsh yellow cress, spike trisetum and common mugwort. The luxuriant alpine forest also stirs up great respect among admirers.

MANGRTSKA PLANINA PASTURE

Not far from the Stovžje landslide, sheep pasture is located along the Mangrtski potok stream. Shepherds with their herds of sheep have inhabited the Mangrtska planina pasture in summer months for more than five centuries. They still manage, graze and produce cheese in the traditional way, like their ancestors before them.

BOVEC SHEEP

This is an indigenous Slovene species that originates from the primary white sheep that was quite common in the alpine world in the past. It is the perfect breed for producing milk, which is traditionally processed into cheese, albumin cottage cheese and whey. The widely marketed “Bovški sir” brand with geographic origin is the foundation of local cuisine.

MANGRT AND ALPINISM

The first known climber to climb Mt Mangrt in 1794, was Franz Josef Hannibal Hohenwart, a Carniolan natural scientist. There are no written sources about the local shepherds and hunters who knew every inch of the mountain long before him.

The two most visited trails run to the top of Mangrt (2679 m) and both start at the Koča na Mangrtskem sedlu mountain hut. The right path, or the Slovenian direction, is very demanding marked trail, which can be walked in one hour and 45 minutes. The left or Italian path is a demanding marked trail, which you can walk in two hours.

Experienced climbers can choose the secured Italian path (via ferrata Italiana), where self-protection gear is mandatory. You can climb it in three hours.

Mangart Mountain and Mangrt Saddle

YOUR STEP MATTERS. IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH, BUT MAKES A GREAT DIFFERENCE.

Harsh climate, young and shallow soil, and crumbly limestone rocks foster the growth of alpine flora. The sturdy vegetation along mountain and other trails is adapted to the demanding conditions of this highaltitude terrain. Attentive visitors who appreciate and respect the sensitive and fragile mountain environment observe the nature conservation, management, and aesthetic guidelines of mountain visitation and refrain from walking outside designated paths.

Mangart Mountain and Mangrt Saddle

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